Gender Differences in the Perceived Severity of Boot Camp

Abstract

We analyze survey data from 181 male and 224 female inmates serving brief prison terms for nonviolent offenses to examine offenders' perceptions of the severity of boot camp compared to prison. Building on the limited work in this area, we present reasons those offenders feel are important to both avoid and participate in alternative sanctions. Results show that men are more likely than women to choose prison over any duration of boot camp, men identify more strongly than women with reasons to avoid alternatives, and women will serve more boot camp than will men. Binary logistic and OLS regression analyses for the total sample, and by gender, reveal that prior experience serving boot camp increases the likelihood that offenders will enroll in boot camp to avoid one year of imprisonment, as well as the amount of boot camp that offenders are willing to serve. In addition, controlling for potentially relevant factors, women will serve more boot camp than men to avoid imprisonment, and being a parent has a significant, positive impact on the amount of boot camp that women (but not men) are willing to endure to avoid one year of prison. Findings have implications for the use of alternative sanctions (particularly boot camp) in corrections, and for understanding “rational choice” processes among male and female offenders.